The Center for Cardiovascular Research sponsors and hosts a wide range of activities to enhance translational cardiovascular science on the UIC Medical campus.
CCVR Graduate Education News: Interdepartmental Ph.D. Concentration in Cardiovascular Science
The CCVR has received University approval for an Interdepartmental Ph.D. Concentration in Cardiovascular Science. Beginning Fall Semester 2012, this degree concentration for the Ph.D. will become available in the participating graduate programs of the Department of Physiology & Biophysics and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics. We anticipate the inclusion of additional departmental graduate programs within the College of Medicine over the coming year.
Details of the curriculum requirements for this Ph.D. concentration will be posted soon, and will include a choice of cardiovascular related elective courses.
Approval has also been given to several new graduate courses in support of the degree concentration in cardiovascular science. These courses include Cardiovascular Pathophysiology, Experimental and Diagnostic Methods in Cardiovascular Science, and a Seminar Course in Cardiovascular Science. CCVR faculty from multiple departments in the College of Medicine, both basic and clinical, will participate as lecturers for the new course offerings.
CCVR Research Day, August 12, 2011 - Save the Date
Please plan to join us for the 2011 Center for Cardiovascular Research (CCVR) research day on Friday, August 12, 2011. Download the program for more details here.
This event celebrates both the recent certification of the CCVR as a permanent Center within The University of Illinois and State University System and the cutting edge research performed by CCVR faculty and investigators. Events will include research awards for original presentations by medical students, graduate students and postdoctoral trainees.
Jointly sponsored by the CCVR and the offices of the Vice Chancellor of Research and the Dean of the College of Medicine, the 2011 CCVR Research Day is a wonderful opportunity to view and discuss the latest findings in cardiovascular science with UIC students, fellows, and faculty.
With the added support of the Herman P. Gunnar Lectureship Series, we are pleased to announce an esteemed College of Medicine alumnus as our guest speaker, Dr. Daniel P. Kelly (M.D., UIC, '82), Scientific Director, Sanford - Burnham Research Institute.
We look forward to seeing you on August 12, 2011. Please extend this invitation to your colleagues and interested members of the community.
CCVR Receives Final Approval for Permanent Center Status
On April 12, 2011, the CCVR received certification for permanent status as an Academic Center within the state university system by the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
On November 18, 2010, the Board of Trustee of the University of Illinois approved permanent status for the Center for Cardiovascular Research (CCVR) as a recognized center within the university.
These actions enables us to move forward in advancing our mission of elucidating the fundamental mechanisms of heart disease for the development of therapeutic and preventative protocols, and to train the next generation of scientists and clinicians to work toward the common goal of relieving the tremendous burden that cardiovascular disease places on our society.
How fitting that this recognition by the Board of Trustees was achieved during the same week in which the American Heart Association held the 2010 AHA Scientific Sessions in Chicago, and where 20 presentations by CCVR members and affiliates revealed their latest findings in cardiovascular research.
This recognition from the University, Trustees, and State Board of Higher Eduction is testimony to the outstanding accomplishments of CCVR investigators across academic departments within the College of Medicine. Indeed, the breadth and scope of research by CCVR investigators that is supported by the National Institutes of Health, including Fellowships, Training Grants, Investigator Initiated Grants, MERIT Awards and Program Projects, offers an active portfolio of basic and clinical investigation at UIC that continues to grow.
CCVR Scientists Receive $12 Million Grant for Research to Resolve Heart Failure.
UIC researchers were awarded more than $12 million by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to study the acquired and familial causes of heart failure – with the aim of identifying markers for diagnosis and targets for cures. More than 5.5 million Americans suffer from heart failure and 670,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, according to the American Heart Association.
Heart failure is one of the leading causes of death, disability and hospitalization in the western world. It occurs when the heart cannot pump effectively and can't meet the body's need for blood and oxygen. The five years of new funding supports ongoing research led by Dr. R. John Solaro, Distinguished University Professor and Head of Physiology and Biophysics. Other UIC Principal Investigators on the grant are Dr. Brenda Russell, Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, and Dr. E. Douglas Lewandowski, DIrector of the Center for Cardiovascular Research and Professor of Physiology and Biophysics.
